піти / поїхати
Setting Off on Foot or by Vehicle
Піти (on foot) and поїхати (by vehicle) are perfective verbs that focus on the start of a journey. They mean 'to set off' or 'to leave for' a place.
How It Works
These verbs are formed by adding the prefix по- (marking the start of an action) to the unidirectional verbs іти (to go on foot) and їхати (to go by vehicle). Note that when по- is added to іти, the vowels merge to form піти (по- + іти = піти). Also, while іти often alternates with йти for euphony, the prefixed form піти does NOT alternate (the form пійти is incorrect).
1. Meaning and Aspect
As perfective verbs, they focus on the moment of departure rather than the process of travel.
- Піти: To set off walking.
- Поїхати: To set off using transport.
2. Tense and Usage
- Past Tense: Він пішов means 'He left.' Interestingly, the plural past forms Пішли! and Поїхали! are commonly used colloquially to mean 'Let's go!'. However, standard literary Ukrainian prefers the true first-person plural imperatives Ходімо! and Їдьмо!.
- Future Tense: They use the perfective simple future to indicate when a journey will begin.
3. Grammar and Cases
- Destination: Expressed with в/на + Accusative or до + Genitive.
- Vehicle: Standard Ukrainian strongly prefers expressing the mode of transport with the bare Instrumental case (e.g., машиною, автобусом). This also applies to indeclinable borrowed words (like метро or таксі), which can be used in their bare form (e.g., їхати метро, їхати таксі), though constructions with prepositions are also common in everyday speech.
- Purpose of Motion: To express going somewhere to get something, standard Ukrainian uses по + Accusative (e.g., піти по хліб 'to go for bread'), which is preferred over за + Instrumental.
4. Conjugation Notes
Піти has a suppletive past tense: пішов, пішла, пішло, пішли. In the future tense, the prefix по- reduces to п- before the root -ід-: піду, підеш, піде, підемо, підете, підуть. For поїхати, the past tense is completely regular: поїхав, поїхала, поїхало, поїхали. However, be aware of the stem change from їха- to їд- in the future tense: поїду, поїдеш, поїде... Additionally, note the consonant softening in its imperative forms: поїдь, поїдьте, поїдьмо.
Examples (5)
- Він пішов у магазин.
He left for the store (and is currently there/on his way).
Word by Word: He set-off into store.
The past tense 'пішов' indicates he has already departed and is not here now.
- Ми поїдемо до Києва завтра.
We will set off for Kyiv tomorrow.
Word by Word: We will-set-off to Kyiv tomorrow.
The future form 'поїдемо' shows a definite plan to start the trip by vehicle.
- Мама вже поїхала на роботу автобусом.
Mom has already left for work by bus.
Word by Word: Mom already set-off onto work by-bus.
Note the use of the bare Instrumental case 'автобусом' to show the mode of transport, which is the preferred standard in Ukrainian.
- Пішли в кіно!
Let's go to the cinema!
Word by Word: Set-off (plural) into cinema!
The past plural form 'пішли' is commonly used as a colloquial way to say 'Let's go!', though 'Ходімо!' is the standard literary form.
- Я піду додому о п'ятій годині.
I will head home at five o'clock.
Word by Word: I will-set-off to-home at fifth hour.
This focuses on the moment of departure from the current location.
Common Mistakes
Using 'піти' for long-distance travel that requires a vehicle.
Я пішов у Канаду.Я поїхав у Канаду.Unless you are literally walking across the border, use 'поїхати' for trips involving cars, planes, or ships.
Using 'пішов' for a completed round trip.
Different MeaningВчора я пішов у театр.Вчора я ходив у театр.'Вчора я пішов у театр' is correct when you set off and may still be out. If you went and came back, use the multidirectional 'ходив'. 'Пішов' implies you are still at the theater or haven't returned to the starting point.
Creating the future tense with 'буду'.
Я буду піти завтра.Я піду завтра.Perfective verbs like 'піти' form the future with a single word. 'Буду' is only used with imperfective verbs.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'піти' and 'поїхати', you need to be familiar with the perfective aspect in Ukrainian, as these verbs focus on the start of an action. You also need to know how to express direction using the accusative case and how to conjugate verbs in the past tense, as these forms are very common when describing someone having already set off.
- Perfective Aspect
The verbs піти and поїхати are perfective forms, so understanding the concept of perfective aspect is essential.
Level 2 - в/у і на + Accusative (Direction)Accusative Direction with В/у and На
These verbs of motion are typically used with the accusative case to indicate the destination.
Level 2 - Masculine Past Tense
These verbs are frequently used in the past tense (пішов, поїхав) to describe having set off, requiring knowledge of past tense conjugation.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- іти / ходитиDeterminate and Indeterminate Motion on Foot
This is the basic 'walking' verb pair. Note that 'піти' is derived specifically from the unidirectional verb 'іти', not the multidirectional 'ходити'.
Level 3 - їхати / їздитиDeterminate and Indeterminate Vehicle Motion
This is the basic 'vehicle' verb pair. Note that 'поїхати' is derived specifically from the unidirectional verb 'їхати', not the multidirectional 'їздити'.
Level 3 - Instrumental Means
The Instrumental case is used with 'поїхати' to specify the vehicle used.
Level 2 - Perfective Simple Future
Explains why the future forms of these verbs look like present tense forms.
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
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